Cavan’s roads are in a shocking and unsafe condition due to chronic underfunding and the Minister tasked with responsibility for funding will not even come before the Seanad for a debate on the issue, despite repeated requests.
That’s according to Aontú Senator Sarah O’ Reilly who has rounded on Minister Darragh O’ Brien and his colleague Minister Niamh Smyth, saying that the urgent concerns of elected members about the ‘dangerous state of the roads ‘are being ignored, and they have been fobbed off with promises of increased funding which have not been honoured .
Senator O’ Reilly says
“I have raised the issue of the terrible state of the roads in this constituency 18 times in the Seanad. It is on the record. The Minister is in charge of allocating roads funding and he can’t escape that. The fault lies squarely at his door
Councillors are doing their absolute best; like myself, they are continually raising the glaring lack of funding, and they have met with Minister O’ Brien to plead for sufficient funds but he is not listening .
The Chair of Cavan County Council called for a meeting with the 10 Oireachtas members representing this constituency at a meeting of Cavan County Council . 8 Oireachtas members turned up, 1 responded that he couldn’t attend due to holidays but Minister Niamh Smyth neither responded, acknowledged or attended the meeting, despite being sent two emails.
I find this absolutely astounding and a right slap in the face both to the people of the constituency and indeed to her own FF councillors who are as dismayed and disillusioned about the gross lack of concern being shown about the roads network. When they can’t get their own party Ministers to address issues of serious concern in this constituency they have a problem.
These councillors, across all parties turned up in Leinster House in good faith but were fed empty promises.
They were categorically told that roads funding would be increased substantially but the facts speak for themselves—instead funding is actually falling for roads in this constituency. This year’s allocation saw a reduction of €28,000 and all the spin and bluster will not change that fact.
Minister O’ Brien has never appeared for a single commencement debate on roads, despite repeated requests. He has addressed road funding only once, indirectly, during Statements on Public Transport. He has only appeared in the Seanad 5 times since 2024.
This is essentially a safety issue. I have lost track of the times I have had to dodge cars and trucks and drive into the ditch in a bid to avoid bursting my tyres on massive craters.
My constituents tell me that this is a daily occurrence for them too.
Our road network is not safe; it is a mess and that is all there is to it.
I have a message to the two Ministers—–
‘I say less of the ‘glory hunting and smiling at photo ops’ and more action on your Ministerial briefs”.
